16 iPhone Tips and Tricks: Hidden Hacks You Should Know

Most people use about 30% of what their iPhone can actually do because Apple quietly tucks its best features three menus deep and never tells anyone about them. The iPhone has come a long way since it was first launched on June 29, 2007, when Steve Jobs described it as "an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator" all in one. Fast forward nearly two decades and it runs on AI, tracks flights in real time, and measures objects using a camera. The point being, there are a lot of iPhone tips and tricks you may not know. Care to find out? 

Productivity and Time-Saving iPhone Tricks

The best iPhone hacks aren't the flashy ones. They're the ones that quietly save you some minutes every single day.

• Back Tap - The Secret Button on the Back of Your Phone

This is one of those secret iPhone tricks that feels like finding a hidden room in a house you've lived in for years. With Back Tap enabled, a double or triple tap on the back of your iPhone triggers an action like taking a screenshot, opening Control Center, turning on the flashlight, or even launching a Shortcut.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and assign whatever action you actually want. 

• Text Replacement - Stop Typing the Same Things Repeatedly

One of the most underrated hidden iPhone hacks that's been sitting in Settings for years. Text Replacement lets you create a short trigger that auto-expands into a full phrase. 

Something like @@ for your email address or adr1 for your home address - pick triggers you'd never type by accident. Set it up at Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. Set it once, use it forever.

• Spotlight Search - It Does Way More Than Find Apps

Spotlight now shows web results, app actions, and lets you start timers or send messages. It's like having a personal assistant built directly into your iPhone. Type any flight number directly into Spotlight and get live updates on departures and delays without opening a single app. Swipe down from the middle of your home screen and start typing. One of the fastest iPhone tricks there is.

Heading abroad and want your iPhone working perfectly from the moment you land? The guide on how to activate eSIM on iPhone walks you through getting your travel eSIM set up before you even board the plane.

Camera and Photo iPhone Tips and Tricks

If we’re talking about cool iPhone tricks, the camera has some of the best hidden features on iPhone that most people walk past every single day.

• Live Text - Copy Text From Anything

Point your camera at any text - a restaurant menu, a business card, a handwritten note and your iPhone will let you copy it instantly. This trick means your iPhone is about to take a lot of strain off your brain's visual centre. 

Tap the Live Text icon that appears in the bottom right corner of your viewfinder, select the text, and copy. 

• Visual Look Up - Point Your Camera at Basically Anything

Open any photo in the Photos app, swipe up, and if your iPhone recognises something in the image you'll see an option to Look Up Plant, Animal, Food, or Artwork. 

On AI-compatible iPhones, Visual Intelligence lets you tap and hold the Camera Control button to identify objects and landmarks in real time without even taking a photo. It's one of the coolest iPhone tips and tricks available.

• Volume Buttons as a Camera Shutter

Hold down the volume button while the camera is open to take a burst of several photos - brilliant for group shots where someone inevitably blinks at the crucial moment. This one's been around for years and still catches people off guard.

Privacy and Security iPhone Hacks

These are the hidden iPhone hacks most people never think to look for but does wonders for privacy and security.

• Lock Hidden Photos With Face ID

Your iPhone lets you hide sensitive photos in a locked album that requires Face ID to access - an easy and reassuring way to make sure they're for your eyes only. 

Open Photos > Albums > scroll to Utilities > Hidden. Then go to Settings > Privacy > Photos and enable the Face ID lock.

• Hide My Email - Stop Giving Websites Your Real Address

Found a website you don't fully trust but still want that discount code? Apple's built-in Hide My Email generates a random, unique email address - messages still land in your personal inbox, but the site never sees your real email. 

You can delete the temporary address any time if the spam starts rolling in. Find it at Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Hide My Email.

• Stop Apps Tracking You Across the Internet

iOS asks permission before any app can track you across other apps and websites. If you've never checked this, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and toggle off anything that shouldn't be following you around the internet. It's one of the iPhone usage tips that protects you without requiring any technical knowledge.

Worth knowing: If you've bought a second-hand iPhone or want to use a travel eSIM, your device may need to be carrier-unlocked first. The unlock iPhone guide explains exactly how to do it without voiding anything or visiting a store.

Battery and Charging iPhone Usage Tips

Battery anxiety is real but these iPhone tips genuinely help.

• Optimised Charging - Let Your iPhone Protect Its Own Battery

Your iPhone learns your charging routine and delays charging past 80% until you actually need it. This minimises the time the battery spends at a high charge level and keeps it healthier for longer. 

Enable it at Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging > Optimised Battery Charging.

• Adaptive Power Mode - AI Battery Management

Adaptive Power Mode uses AI to learn your iPhone usage habits. If you're using more battery than usual one day, it adjusts background app refresh and other features automatically to get you through without going into full Low Power Mode. 

One of the smarter iPhone usage tips because it runs entirely in the background.

• Check Your Battery Cycle Count

Head to Settings > General > About to see your battery's cycle count and maximum capacity. If your maximum capacity is dropping below 80%, your battery may need replacing .

Your apps might be draining more data than your battery is charging. The Data Tracking guide shows which apps are consuming mobile data in the background and exactly how to stop them.

Fun and Customisation iPhone Tricks

Some cool iPhone tricks that make your phone feel like yours.

• Custom Lock Screen Widgets

With reports finding that people spend most of the day on their phones, it's worth making sure your lock screen hosts your favourite apps and features. iOS 16 and later lets you fully customise your lock screen by adding a weather widget, a calendar or a battery indicator right from the lock screen.

• Haptic Keyboard Feedback - Typing That Actually Feels Like Something

Turn on haptic keyboard feedback and suddenly typing feels less like flat glass and more like digital bubble wrap. Every tap gives you a gentle vibration that's oddly satisfying.

Enable it at Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback > switch on Haptic.

• Hide Entire App Pages Without Deleting Anything

Tap and hold on the home screen until it enters jiggle mode, tap the dots at the bottom of the display, and deselect any page you want to hide. Apps hidden this way can still be found through Spotlight Search. 

A cleaner home screen without the commitment of deleting anything - one of the tidier secret iPhone tricks for keeping things minimal.

• iPhone Message Tricks Worth Knowing

Swipe right on any message bubble to reply directly to that specific message. Shake your phone to undo a message you've just typed. 

And in iOS 26, you can schedule messages to send at a specific time - tap "+" in the message composer and select "Send Later." Useful for time zones, birthdays, and anything where timing actually matters.

Take Your iPhone Further With eSIM Cards

Now your device is running at full potential with the iPhone tips and tricks listed here, make sure your connectivity keeps up as well. Whether you're using Back Tap to open your camera at the airport, or Visual Look Up in a city you've never been to before - all of it needs a data connection that actually works. 

eSIM Cards offers instant-activation travel eSIM plans for 190+ destinations worldwide, with no SIM swapping, no roaming surprises, and setup that takes under two minutes. Explore eSIM Cards before your next trip and you'll never scramble for airport Wi-Fi again.

FAQs

Q1. When did the iPhone come out?

Ans. The iPhone was first launched on June 29, 2007 - announced by Steve Jobs at Macworld earlier that year. When it first came out, it had no App Store, no copy and paste, and no 3G. Today's iPhones have AI features, satellite connectivity, LiDAR cameras, and eSIM support built in.

Q2. What are the best hidden iPhone hacks most people miss?

Ans. Back Tap for triggering actions by tapping the back of your device, Text Replacement for expanding short shortcuts into full phrases, and Visual Look Up for identifying objects in photos are consistently the most overlooked. Hide My Email or the hidden app page is also widely unused despite being built into every iPhone.

Q3. What are the best iPhone message tricks?

Ans. Swipe right on any message bubble to reply to it directly. Shake to undo a typed message. Use Send Later in iOS 26 to schedule messages in advance. Press and hold any sent message to edit or unsend it within a short window after sending.

Q4. How do I stop apps draining my iPhone data in the background?

Ans. Go to Settings > Cellular and scroll down to see every app's data usage. Toggle off any app you don't want using mobile data in the background. You can also disable Background App Refresh entirely at Settings > General > Background App Refresh.